Saints interim coach Vitt denies bounty testimony

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPublished December 15, 2012 - 4:38am Last Updated December 15, 2012 - 8:31am

Cowboys’ Bryant to play with broken finger

METAIRIE, La. — Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt says witnesses in the NFL’s bounty investigation of New Orleans’ pay-for-pain system have lied about him and the organization and that their stories might change in federal court.

Vitt angrily said Thursday he feels the truth will come out in federal court, where the punishment for perjury can be jail time. He also once again vehemently denied that he kept the system going after the NFL began its investigation.

Vitt’s comments come a day after transcripts obtained by The Associated Press showed former Saints defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams testified during NFL appeal hearings that he tried to stop the Saints’ cash-for-hits program, only to be overruled by Vitt.

Those same transcripts show Vitt denied Williams’ allegation and offered to take a lie detector test.

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant says he will play with a broken finger Sunday against Pittsburgh and there are signs that it might not be wishful thinking.

Bryant was listed as a limited participant in practice Thursday, an upgrade from a day earlier, when he sat out. Dallas coach Jason Garrett said he caught some passes in practice after saying before the workout he didn’t think Bryant would.

The third-year pro fractured his left index finger in last weekend’s 20-19 win at Cincinnati, but he caught a touchdown after getting injured. He will need surgery, but the question remains whether he can try to play through the injury and have surgery after the season.

It didn’t seem like much of a question in Bryant’s mind Thursday.

“Only thing y’all need to know is I’m playing,” he said while ducking in and out of the locker room without stopping for interviews.

Bryant was the last player on the field for the open portion of practice, and he was wearing a padded white glove that had the tip of the finger exposed. Several players said he looked good catching passes.

“There are different ways to catch a ball,” quarterback Tony Romo said. “He can probably tell you better than anybody just how to catch a football. I trust him. If he’s going to put himself in that position, I know he’s going to find a way to play at a certain level.”

Bryant wants to keep playing for two reasons: the Cowboys (7-6) still have a shot at the playoffs, and he’s in the best stretch of his career. The third-year pro has his first 1,000-yard season and has scored in a career-best five straight games.

Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson says he enjoys having his teammates pull for him as he tries to break Jerry Rice’s single-season record for yards receiving.

The Lions don’t have much else to root for this year.

Detroit has dropped five straight and will finish the season with a losing record, one year after winning 10 games and breaking the franchise’s 11-year post-season drought.

Johnson has been a bright spot.

He has a league-high 1,546 yards receiving going into Sunday’s game at Arizona. With three games left, he is 303 yards from breaking Rice’s single-season mark set in 1995 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Cardinals star receiver Larry Fitzgerald says Johnson is the best in the business.

Police in the Dallas suburb where a Cowboys player was killed in a car accident have released audiotapes of two 911 calls reporting the crash.

Irving police on Thursday released tapes of two callers reporting an overturned vehicle. Both callers said smoke or fire appeared to be coming from the car. Police also released dash-cam video that shows an overturned vehicle.

According to an arrest affidavit, officers who arrived found Brent pulling Brown from the wreck. Police say they have not yet received the results of a blood-alcohol test.